Tim Slekar is launching a new front in the battle against high-stakes testing and privatization.Satire alert!!!! Tim’s website is temporarily down. Try again later.

He writes:

On Friday at 9:00 am EST please visit the new and substantially improved @ the chalk face media site (http://atthechalkface.com/). Along with columns by Chalkface and Tim Slekar a host of new authors joins @ the chalk face. Paul Thomas, Chris Cerrone, Kris Neilsen, Katie Osgood, Kuhio Kane, Barbara Madeloni, and Lauren Cohen will each add a their own touch of magic.

Committed to a take no prisoners approach in exposing the corporate reform movement @ the chalk face internet radio will feature regular interviews with @ the chalk face authors and continue to interview the leading activists engaged in fighting for the American public school system.

And just so “the other side” is not totally shut out we are happy to introduce Wendi Hatch-Mhee

You’ve probably already heard of Wendi Hatch-Mhee. She began her career in education as part of the Americans Teaching program. She gained respect for teachers after spending nearly 370 days helping under-privileged minority children close the achievement gap. When her students made extraordinary progress on state achievement tests, Hatch-Mhee was invited to bless a medium-sized east coast school district with her many talents. She worked as their chancellor for three years before moving on to found the American Alliance for Successful Students. Today she serves as the CEO of AASS whose mission is to raise the scores of American public education students to rival those of less important countries. She recently published another book. This one entitled, “History Maker.”

Wendi agreed to contribute to this website to serve as the contrasting voice of reason amongst the clamoring din of unionized thugs who are content with the status quo.

I am so much more interested in blogs that are “for” rather than “against”.
I recognize “testing” isn’t wonderful and probably doesn’t deliver useful results.
Denigrating solution A does not develop useful solutions. It supports status quo.

Start a blog named “THE EDUCATION ANSWER” even if you know nothing. So many people will contribute.

Educators have not been in charge of education in decades, so the status quo really consists of the policies that have been dictated by politicians and other non-educators. It stands to reason that there are many practices in place that educators have had a wealth of experience dealing with and oppose, such as over a decade of high-stakes testing.

Egbegb. Having visited many classrooms throughout the country, I share your interest in what people are for, rather than what they are against. Also, having been an urban public school teacher, having been married to a teacher, having a daughter who currently is a teacher, I can attest to the fact that teachers have an enormous impact in their classroom. Moreover, one of the strongest forces in every state legislature is the group that teachers elect to represent them.
There is a lot of denial of this list serve about the impact of teachers. There is a lot of complaining. And there are some things that are frustrating. But sadly, you won’t find a lot of solutions here.

Read this article. The reformers are on the attack in Ohio. What is with the line, “universally popular”? Is this person implying that Rhee and others are popular? Who bought this writer? I like the chalkface idea. I swear you guys can get tips from all over the country about the charter rip-offfs.

Reblogged this on kuhiokane and commented:
Here’s the thing. I just listened in to a couple of well known talking heads on alternative (okay, not too alternative….MSNBC) discussing how the partisanship in Congress will continue to be a big deal and no real progressive break in the obstructive iceberg is likely to be noticed until 2020. 2020 !!! Can we wait until then to defeat privatization and financialization of public schools? Today’s 6th grader will likely be eighteen years old. Today’s reform movement’s position (and gaining political currency) has the potential of decimating lives to less than mediocre in a post meritocratic corporatism which churns out metrics, not people.